OPS cautions against unwanted debate on burial row

The ruling AIADMK on Wednesday sought to put an end to the controversy surrounding the allotment of burial space for late DMK chief M Karunanidhi, with Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam saying the "issue has ended" and cautioned against any "unwanted debate" on the matter.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government's initial refusal to allow Karunanidhi to be buried at the Marina as per his wishes had stirred up a row, with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) later moving the Madras High Court to secure a favourable verdict in the matter.

"It is an unnecessary issue. Space has been given. So that issue has ended. Therefore, I request that unwanted debate on the matter not be allowed by unnecessarily wading into it," Panneerselvam said in response to reporters' queries on the matter.

On Tuesday, Karunanidhi's son and DMK Working President M K Stalin said he literally "pleaded" with Chief Minister K Palaniswami for providing space on the Marina beachfront for his father's burial alongside party founder, late C N Annadurai.

The Tamil Nadu government, on its part, has been insisting that its decision to allot burial space for the Dravidian stalwart elsewhere was taken considering legal issues, as there were pending cases against the construction of memorials on the popular beachfront.

Some of them were later withdrawn.

To a question on Tamil actor Rajinikanth's contention that Palaniswami and his cabinet colleagues should have attended the DMK stalwart's funeral, Panneerselvam indicated that it was the star's personal view.

On the conduct of local body elections, he said they were being delayed due to the ongoing delimitation process and exuded confidence that the ruling party would comfortably win the polls whenever they were held.